Load handler attachment for industrial lift trucks



B. I. ULINSKI Jan. 11, 1955 LOAD HANDLER ATTACHMENT FOR INDUSTRIAL LIFTTRUC Filed Jan. 4

INVENTOR 4110%! fl 96M ATTORNEY United States Patent LOAD HANDLERATTACHMENT FOR INDUSTRIAL LIFT TRUCKS Bronislaus I. Ulinski, Chicago,Iil., assignor to The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamford,Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application January 4, 1951, SerialNo. 204,381 8 Claims. (Cl. 214620) This invention relates to thehandling of industrial loads such as boxes, bales, rolls of paper andother bulky articles, and more particularly to a load handling apparatuswhich will enable an industrial lift truck to engage and carry a load.

As one feature of the invention of a lift truck of the load, thesedevices being easily interengageable by a simple movement of the liftingcarriage of the truck. The engaging element of the lifting device is anupstanding spur mounted in such a position upon the carriage that it mayenter an apertured element on the handling device. The apertured elementis located at one side or face of the load, in such a position as to beeasily accessible to the lift truck even though all of the other sidesand the bottom of the load may be obstructed. It will be seen that thisfeature provides an important advantage over load engaging members suchas forks and gripping members which, in order to be effective, must haveaccess to the sides or the bottom of the load, particularly in view ofthe fact that it is customary to stack boxes and bales in contact witheach other in warehouses and other places.

A further feature of my invention resides in the use of a strap thatsecures the complementary handling device to the load while functioningas one of the reinforcing bands of a box or bale. It will be appreciatedthat the complementary handling device may take various forms, so longas it is adapted to be held in place by the strap. in the form ofinvention herein to be described, the straps will be utilized to hold inposition various forms of apertured elements.

As a more particular feature of this part of my invention, the strap isso arranged with respect to the apertured element upon the load, that orcam surface for directing the spur or other part of the carriage towardthe aperture when the truck operator wishes to pick up the load.

A further feature of the invention resides in the use of a cam surfaceon the spur to facilitate the entrance of the spur into the aperture.this feature being of particular value when the apertured element is inthe form of a swinging bail. If the spur should be brought toward thebail when the bail is in a depending position, the cam surface willswing it outwardly, thus permitting the entrance of the spur.

My invention also includes the feature of specially shaped base membersfor carrying the bails set forth above. Thus, the bases are properlyshaped to conform to the surface of the load, and may be angular to fitagainst the corner of a box, or curved to fit against a cylindricalload. Suitable means, which may be in the form of recesses at oppositeends of the base, are pro vided for maintaining the handling device inpredetermined alignment with the strap or other means securing the basesto the load. However, the bases may be nailed or otherwise secured inplace as will later be made apparent. 1

As an alternative feature of the invention, the construction of thecomplementary handling device will be simplified by making it as asingle integral member. This may be accomplished by perforating andbending a portion of the strap in such a manner as to form an aperturedelement which, when the strap is attached to the load, will projecttherefrom and will be readily engageable by the lifting device. When thehandling device is conit will provide a guide structed in this way, aportion of the strap which is ad jacent the bent portion will serve as aguide for directing the lifting spur toward the aperture.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of myinvention in order that the detailed description thereof that followsmay be understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may bebetter appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of myinvention that will be described hereinafter, and which Those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the concepdisclosure is me shall be ofsufiicient breadth to prevent the appropriation of my invention by thoseskilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. l is a side view illustrating one form of the improved loadhandling apparatus as it would appear when the lifting carriage is aboutto pick up the load, and also showing an elevated position of thelifting carriage and the load in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the spur frame as it would appearwhen removed from the lifting carriage.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the handling device asa corner member applied to a box, and also illustrating the manner inwhich the bail would be camrned outwardly by the spur.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified construction in whichthe bail is urged outwardly by a spring.

ig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a curved form of thehandling device as it would appear when attached to a curved surface ofa load such as a roll of paper.

6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating another form ofhandling device in which the apertured element is formed by a projectingportion of the strap.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates generally an industrial lifttruck having ground engaging wheels 11, and supporting primary andsecondary uprights 12, 13. As is usual in industrial trucks of thistype, a lifting plate 15 is guided for vertical movements upon thesecondary uprights 13 under the control of the truck operator. In orderthat the carry a load such as a box B, the transverse front plate 15 isprovided with a spur frame 16 having a pair of upstanding spurs 17adapted to interengage with a pair of complementary handling devices 18which are attached to the load.

The spur frame 16 is rectangular in form, and comprises a pair ofvertical bars 19 upon the upper ends of which the spurs 17 are formed,and a pair of horizontal spacer members 20 connecting said verticalbars. The rear surfaces of the vertical bars 19 are so formed as to fitagainst the face of the front plate 15, and are integrally provided withupper and lower hooked lugs 21, 22, adapted to engage over the top andbottom edges of the front plate 15, thus supporting the spur frame 16securely upon the lifting carriage 14.

A pair of the complementary handling devices 18 are attached to the loador box B in such positions that the spurs 17 may, by an upward movementof the lifting carriage 14, be engaged with the handling devices forlifting the box. Each of the complementary handling devices 18 comprisesan apertured element in the form of a bail 23 which is mounted upon abase or angle member 24, and which is adapted to receive one of thespurs 17. as may best be seen in Fig. 3.

The bail 23 is elongated in a horizontal direction so as to provide acertain latitude with respect to the location at which it may receivethe spur 17. and also is swingable so that it may be folded compactlyagainst the load and thus will offer no obstruction ber 24.

It will be noted at this point that the spur 17 is upwardly andforwardly inclined, and has an upper cam surface 26 extending rearwardlyfrom the tip of the spur. This construction will permit the spur 17 toenter and effectively engage the bail 23 even though the bail may befolded downwardly so as to present no opening for the spur. In otherwords, the tip of the spur 17 may engage behind the bail 23 in such away that the bail will be swung outwardly by the cam surface 17 uponcontinued upward movement of the spur. The entering movement of the spur17 will be limited when the bail 23 engages a shoulder 27 on the upperside of the hooked lug 21, whereupon the weight of the load will besupported by the spur 17 and the shoulder 27, and the load may be liftedand transported as desired by the truck 10.

The angle member 24 is particularly constructed for attachment to a boxB by a strap 28, which is adapted to be engaged over the angle member 24and through the aperture provided by the bail 23. The strap 28preferably is a flexible steel strap of a type which may be used toencircle and secure boxes and bales, and may, if desired, be securelyattached to the surface of the box B by means of nails 29 driventherethrough. In order to insure that the angle member 24 will remain inalignment with the strap 28 and in its proper position upon the box B,opposite ends of said angle member are notched to provide end recesses30 which will receive portions of the Isatrap 28 when the latter isengaged over the angle memin addition to its functions in reinforcingthe box B and in attaching the angle member 24 thereto, the strap 28serves another important purpose in guiding the spur 17 toward the bail23. Inasmuch as the strap 28 will occupy a vertical position upon thefront of the box B, it will be seen that the truck operator may maneuverthe truck so as to bring the spur 17 against the strap below the anglemember 24, and then raise the lifting carriage 14 so as to slide thespur 17 upwardly along ghelstzrsap until the spur becomes fully engagedWithin the When the spurs 17 are engaged in the bails 23 of both of thehandling devices 18, and the lifting carriage 14 is raised so as toelevate the box B, the front of the box will engage the lower endportions of the vertical bars 19 of the spur frame 16, as illustrated inbroken lines in Fig. 1, thus preventing any excessive downward swingingof the load.

It will be understood that the lift truck 10 and the lifting carriage 14thereon may be operated in the usual manner to deposit the box B in thedesired location, after which the spurs 17 may be disengaged from thebails 23 by a short downward movement of the carriage 14.

As a modification of the complementary handling device 18, provision maybe made of a spring means which will normally hold the bail in anoutward position in which it will present an open aperture for receivingthe spur. As shown in Fig. 4, he modified handling device comprises abase or angle member 31 which is provided with spaced horizontalbearings 32, and which is constructed otherwise in the same manner asthe angle member 24, described above. The bearings 32, however, carry aswingable elongated bail 33 which is urged outwardly away from the anglemember 31 by a spring 34 coiled around a shaft portion 35 of the bail,the strap 28 being engaged over the shaft portion 35 when the anglemember 31 is applied to a load. In all other respects, the angle member31 and the bail 33 will be applied to the load and will operate in thesame manner as the angle member 24 and the bail 23.

The base which swingably supports the hail of the handling device may beembodied in other forms, one of which is shown in Fig. 5. In this form,the base is a curved member 36 which is adapted to fit against thecurved surface of a cylindrical object such as a roll of paper R. Acentral portion of the curved member 36 is provided with a pair oflaterally spaced bearings 37 which are disposed in aligned relationshipand which swingably carry a bail 38 in a position spanning the curvedmember 36. A strap 39 is passed through the aperture formed by the bail38 and encircles the roll R, thus holding the curved member 36 and thebail 38 thereon securely attached to the roll.

Opposite end portions 40 of the curved member 36 are curved outwardlyand notched to provide recesses 41 for receiving the strap 39, so thatthe curved member 36 will be maintained in alignment with the strap. Theend portions 40, being outwardly curved, will not only provide adefinite engagement with the edges of the strap 39, but will also avoiddamaging the roll of paper to which the curved member is attached.

Fig. 6 shows another form of construction which eliminates the use ofswingable bails and which utilizes a perforated portion of the strapitself as the apertured member for receiving the spur 17. In this formof the invention the strap is designated by the numeral 42 andpreferably encircles the box or other load B, although the strap may besecured to the box by nails 43 driven through it. In order to provide aprojecting element 44, which will be located at the corner of the loador box, a portion of the strap 42 is doubled and held in doubledcondition by suitable means such as a rivet 45. The projecting element44 is perforated to provide an aperture 46 which is adapted to receivethe spur 17, so that the lift truck 10 may raise and transport the loadto which the strap 42 is attached. A front portion of the strap 42 willprovide a guide surface for directing the spur 17 toward the aperture 46in the manner described above in connection with other forms of theinvention.

While the invention has been described as utilizing a pair of spurswhich are interengageable with a pair of equidistantly spacedcomplementary handling devices upon a load, it is within the scope ofthe invention to employ a single spur upon the lifting carriage and asingle centrally located handling device upon the load to be lifted bysaid spur. Such an arrangement will be found to be entirelysatisfactory, particularly with light or symmetrical loads, although aplurality of the spurs and handling devices will be found preferablewhen handling heavy or unwieldy loads because of the greater stabilityprovided thereby.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, andfor which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a load handling apparatus of the class described, a truck, alifting device movable on said truck, a spur on said lifting device, acomplementary handling device having a continuous flexible thin metalstrap adapted to be wrapped about the top, bottom, and side surfaces ofa load, a projecting portion on said complementary handling deviceforming an aperture, said projecting portion positioned below that partof the strap that is against the top surface of the load when the strapis wrapped about the load, and said portion projecting relatively to aside of the load with its aperture in position for receiving said spur.

2. In a load handling apparatus of the class described, a truck, alifting device vertically movable on said truck, a spur on said liftingdevice, a complementary handling device, a continuous flexibleprojecting portion on said complementary handling device forming anaperture for receiving said spur, a strap adapted to be wrapped aboutthe top, bottom, and side surfaces of said projecting portion to saidload in position below that part of the strap that is against the topsurface of the load, and a guide surface on that part of said strap thatis against a side of the load adapted to be contacted by said spur uponvertical movement thereof with said lifting device for guiding said spurtoward said aperture.

3. In a load handling apparatus of the class described, a truck, alifting device vertically movable on said truck, an upstanding spur onsaid lifting device, a continuous flexible strap having a portionadapted to be wrapped about the top, side, and bottom surfaces of aload, said strap also having an extending portion that is in positionprojecting away from the load below that part of the strap that isagainst the top surface of the load when the strap is wrapped about theload, and said extending portion formed with an aperture for receivingsaid spur.

4. In a load handling apparatus of the class described, a truck, alifting device verticaly movable on said truck, an upstanding spur onsaid lifting device, a complementary load handling device, a base onsaid complementary load handling device adapted to lie against the sidesurface of a load, a bail secured to said base in position to lie belowthe top surface of the load and providing an aperture for receiving saidspur, and a strap passing along the side surface of the load under saidbail and over said base and about said load to secure said load handlingdevice to said load.

5. In a combination of the class described, a strap adapted to bewrapped about the top, bottom, and side surfaces of a load, such as acube shaped crate, a truck coacting element having a portion adapted tobe contacted of a truck, an angular base for said coacting elementadapted to overlie a corner of said load, and said strap passing oversaid angular base for securing said truck coacting element to saidcorner of said load with the lsaidi portion of the element below the topsurface of the 6. In a combination of the class described, a strapadapted to be wrapped about the top, bottom, and side surfaces of aload, such as a roll of paper, a truck coacting element having a portionadapted to be contacted by a lifting part of a truck, a curved base forsaid coacting element adapted to overlie a curved surface of said load,and said strap passing over said curved base for securing said truckcoacting element to said curved surface of said load with the saidportion of the element below the top of the load.

7. In a handling device of the class described, a strap adapted to bewrapped about the body of a load, a por tion of said strap having anaperture and extending in angular relationship to another portionthereof such as a roll of paper away from the load in the form of anear, and said ear positioned below the top of the load with its aperturein position to receive a load lifting spur.

8. In a handling device of the class described, a bail load, a base forsaid bail, a strap wrapped about the load and engaged across said baseand through said bail for holding said base secured relatively to a sidesurface of the load with the bail extending outwardly from the loadbelow the top surface of the load.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,212,190 Davis Jan. 16, 1917 2,175,041 Thumim Oct. 3, 1939 2,341,801Miller Feb. 15, 1944 2,413,661 Stokes Dec. 31, 1946 2,428,500 Nutt Oct.7, 1947 2,441,750 Britton May 18, 1948 2,465,133 Toffolon Mar. 22, 19492,517,085 Cirillo Aug. 1, 1950 2,560,206 Beatty July 10, 1951 2,650,733Blatz Sept. 1, 1953

